Tale of the tape: How the Nexus 5 compares to the iPhone 5s, Nexus 4

After countless leaks, Google has finally formally unveiled its new Nexus 5 smartphone, and it arrives just in time for the holiday shopping season.

The LG-built device comes a month after Google sold out of its predecessor, the Nexus 4. Around the same time, Apple also announced its latest smartphone, the iPhone 5s.

So how do all three compare? Here's the breakdown.

Price

The new Nexus 5 is available for purchase now and starts at $349 for a 16 GB model. A 32 GB model is available for $399. Both versions of the device come unlocked. Sprint has also said that users can get a 16 GB version of the gadget starting Nov. 8 for $149.99 with a two-year contract.

Google has discontinued the Nexus 4, so the only place to get it is from websites that sell used devices. Glyde.com currently offers the device for $225. But when the Nexus 4 went on sale last year, it had an entry price of $299 for an 8 GB model. Google also offered a 16 GB model for $349 -- the same price the tech giant is asking for the entry model of the Nexus 5.

The iPhone 5s, meanwhile, is available for as low as $199 for a 16 GB model with a two-year contract. Users who want an unlocked device will have to pay $649 for the iPhone 5s.

Screen

The Nexus 5 boasts a large 4.95-inch screen with a 1,920-by-1,080 pixel resolution and a 445 pixel density. That's an improvement over the Nexus 4's 4.7-inch, which has a 1,280 by 768 pixel resolution and a pixel density of 320.

The Nexus 5's screen also beats out the iPhone 5s in terms of size and resolution. The iPhone 5s has a 4-inch screen with an 1,136-by-640-pixel resolution and 326 pixel density.

Size

Having a larger screen comes at a price. That's why the Nexus 5 is slightly bigger than its predecessor.

The Nexus 5 is 2.72 inches wide by 5.43 inches tall. The Nexus 4 is 2.70 inches wide by 5.27 inches tall. The Nexus 5, however, is thinner at 0.34 inches. By contrast, the Nexus 4 is 0.36 inches thick.

The iPhone 5, though, is the smallest of all the phones. It's 2.31 inches wide, 4.87 inches tall, and 0.30 inches thick.

Weight

The iPhone 5s is also the lightest of the bunch, at 0.25 pounds. Surprisingly, the Nexus 5 weighs 0.29 pounds and is lighter than the Nexus 4, which weighs 0.31 pounds.

Camera

When it comes to photography, there's very little difference between the three on paper.

Each device has an 8-megapixel rear camera. The Nexus devices sport 1.3-megapixel front cameras while the iPhone 5s uses a 1.2-megapixel front camera.

Chip

The Nexus 5 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor while the Nexus 4 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro. The iPhone 5s uses Apple's very own 64-bit A7 chip.

Operating System

The Nexus 5 will debut Android 4.4 KitKat, the latest version of Google's mobile operating system. The Nexus 4 currently runs on Android Jelly Bean, but Google said it will update it to KitKat in the coming weeks.

Like the Nexus 4, the Nexus 5 is available in both black and white options. The iPhone 5s can be purchased in black and gray, white and silver or white and gold options.

Connectivity

One of the biggest differences between the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 4 is that the new phone can connect with LTE networks. One of the biggest qualms users had with the Nexus 4 is that the Google device could only reach non-LTE 4G speeds.